Latest Lifestyle

8 delicious bread recipes

Written By The Good Housekeeping Cookery Team | 25 April 2016

From bagels to cinnamon buns, it’s time to start baking.

Whether you’ve never kneaded before or fancy yourself the next Paul Hollywood, read on and be inspired. From artisanal sourdough to bouncy bagels or a trusty brown bloomer (and more!), it’s time to roll up your sleeves, get out the flour and start baking…

Sourdough

Sourdough bread is made with a fermented ‘starter’ of natural yeast. For a description of how to make and maintain a sourdough starter, see goodhousekeeping.co.uk/sourdough-starter

Learn the lingo
Get your bread baking off to a great start by familiarising yourself with these common bread-baking terms and ingredients:

Strong flour Frequently used to make yeasted breads as it has a higher protein content than other flours.

Yeast Available as fresh, active dried or fast-action dried yeast, this single-celled micro-organism is used to rise (leaven) dough and give the finished loaf a lighter, more open texture.

Gluten The result of a bonding of two proteins present in flour with the liquid in the recipe. When kneaded, gluten strengthens and forms elastic strands. Chiefly responsible for giving bread its open, chewy texture.

Kneading Manipulating dough in order to distribute the yeast and develop gluten. Yeasted bread is kneaded until smooth and elastic.

Rise Yeasted breads need a rise to allow the yeast to reproduce and give off carbon dioxide. This stretches the gluten, forming air bubbles.

Knocking back Kneading risen dough to even out the texture.

Prove The final rise before baking. The dough should feel soft and pillowy.

Liquid Most should be added in one go – better a slightly wet dough than too dry. If it’s too sticky, add more flour. Different liquids will result in different textures and crusts: water gives a hard crust and open texture, while milk will produce a finer crumb because of its
fat content.

Fat Not essential in breadmaking, but often used to add flavour, or give a browner crust and finer texture.

Salt Essential to help with gluten development (although too much inhibits growth of yeast). Without salt, bread tastes bland and stale.

Sugar A small amount is often added as a source of food for the yeast.